Vacuum-cleaner.



R; B. HUTCHISON. VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION nun SEPT. 1a, 1908.

956,100. Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

.secured to the machine,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT B. HUTCHISON, 0F WILKINSIBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

VACUUM-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

Application filed September 15, 1808. Serial No. 458,198.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. HUTCHI- SON, a citizen of the United States residing at Wilkinsburg in the county of Allegheny and State of llennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Vacuum-Cleaners, of which tl e following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention refers-to improvements in rtable cleaning apparatus, and is desi ed or the purpose of removing dust etc., rom floors, carpets, or other sur aces, by suction.

The invention is particularly designed to rovide a hand-operated machme capable of moved around over the floor by a sing e operator and operated by a handactuated lever-in connection with the handle and comprises in its entirety a suction nozzle, a receiving chamher for the dust, etc., and a double-acting .tures of construction,

vacuum or suction chamber or head provided with an alternately operating diaphragm or the like dividing said chamber into two compartments, each of which is connected with the dust-receiving chamber, together with the several operating parts and other feaas shall be more fully hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings :-.-Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the complete machine in position for work. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the machine wlthout the handle and operating lever. Fi 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 1%7. IV. of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views showing modifications.

In the drawings, 2 is the dust-receiving chamber, which as shown consists generally surface to be cleaned.

The entire interior cavity of chamber 2 is designed to constitute a'reservoir for the dust, and is preferably provided with a backwardl and upwardly projecting extension 6 of tile dust conveying conduit3 terminating at the inner rear ortion of the chamber 2 1n front of the tering screen, thereby preventing disturbance of the accumulated dust and allowing it to fill the lower forward interior.

At its rear end, chamber 2 is provided with one or more transversely arranged filtering screens 7 of muslin, wire gauze, or other suitable material in drum-head form, secured upon a supporting ring 8 and within a surrounding clampingring or rings 9 to provide for easy renewal of the screen or screens 7. The screen device as thus constructed is inserted as shown, within the end of chamber 2, and is preferably fixedly held therein either by its tlght fit within the shell of the chamber, or by. a stem 10 of a transverse frame 11, secured within the ring 8, said stem extending backwardly a ainst the inner face of coping or cap 12 of t e casing 2. Said cap 12 as shown in preferably flanged and fits over the end of the shell 2 with an intervening packing gasket 12, being secured thereto by any suitable means, as holding bolts 13, pivotally mounted at 14 in bearing lugs extending outwardly from the side of casing 2 and engaging slotted ears 15 projecting radially from the cap 12, at each side. Bolts 13 are provided with thumb screws 16, so that by loosening them the bolts may be thrown outwardly on pivots 14 and the shell 2 separated from its head. When the chamber 2 is thus disconnected from head 12, screen frame 8 may be withdrawn by stem 10 and the contents emptied, the parts being again assembled and connected without trouble or appreciable loss of time.

If preferable, the shell of chamber 2 may be provided with a laterally opening gate a of any suitable construction, as indicated in Fig. 6, whereby the contents may be emptied from time to time without detaching the parts of the machine, as just described.

For the purpose of creating suction within chamber 2, I vprovide a cylindrical pump immediately in the rear of said chamber, preferably consisting of two heads, 17, 18, of truncated cone form, secured together at the center by flan es 19, with an intervening diaphra m 20 of rubber or other suitable materia Each head 17, 18, is provided at its outer end with terminal walls 21, 22, respectively, the avial center of the pump egrtending transversely through said walls in adirection longitudinalof chamber 2, the

, respectively cylindrical ump thus bein arranged immediatel in the rear of the ust chamber and where y the actuating diaphragm 20, operates alternately in opposite directions lengthwise of the dust chamber.

End wall 22v is provided with a suitable stufiing box 23 in which is mounted the stem 24 connected by nuts 25, 25, and disks 26,26, at each side with the diaphragm 20, so that as stem 24 is reciprocated, a corresponding motion will be given to the diaphragm, the purpose of which is to alternately create a partial vacuum and resulting suctionwithin one or the other of the suction chambers of the pump. Each of said suction chambers is connected with the cap 12 of chamber 2 by connections 27, 27 respectively, and common pipe 28, which parts vmay be of short sections of pipe as shown, or of any other suitable construction, whereby as the diaphragm 20 is actuated, alternate suction will be exerted throu h one or the other of said connections, pro ucing a partial vacuum within the chamber 2 and drawing thereinto the dust, etc., which will be prevented from further backward travel by the screens 7. The inner ends of connections 27, 27 are closed by flap or check valves 29, 30, as shown in Fig. 3, allowing for free inwar travel of the air but closing againstreverse pressure upon reversal of the diaphragm as will be readily understood, thereby providing for a practically constant exhaust from the interior of chamber 2. Likewise, each of the compartments at opposite sides of diaphragm 20 are provided at the bottom or sides, with similar outlet flaps or check valves 31, 32, preferably spring actuated, ada ted to open and close automatically in con ormity with the movement of the diaphragm, to provide for outward travel of the confined air when the diaphragm is closed inwardly toward each chamber, and to close against ingress of outside air when the diaphragm is reversed, the operation continuing automatically at each side, in conformity With the operation .of'check valves 29, 30, as long as the machine is operated.

The operation of the diaphragm is dependent upon the reciprocating movement of the operating lever of the machine.

33 represents the handle of the machine which may convenientlyv be made of pipe, having an outer cross handle as shown and side members secured at their inner ends in thecap 12 and by bracket 34 to the pump, thereby connecting the arts rigidly together. Bracket 34 is extended downwardly and backwardly across the rear of the pump, to

which it is secured, and terminates in a pivotalmounting 35 for the lower end ofthe loperating lever 36. Any other suitableor convenient mechanism may however be employed for the lever mounting, but the bracket construction shown rigidly connects the parts and is a simple and economical form for the purpose.

Stem 24 of diaphragm 20 is provided at its outer end with a terminal pivotallyjointed cross-head 37 slidingly mounted on rod 38 secured at its ends in brackets 39, 39, mounted on the handle 34 as shown, by which construction the central arrangement and position of stem 24 is not disturbed by the varying positions of lever 36 and whereby ample provision is made for the variation in relative positions of said operating parts. The mounting of supporting stem 38 -facilitates the operation of the parts, especially at the extremes of movement.

While the construction as just described is well adapted for the purposes in View, it will be obvious that other means of connect- .in the stem 24 with lever 36 may be provided for flexibility, as by means of linked connections.

At its outer end lever 36 is provided with a grip 40 and in the normal position of the parts, (Fig. 1), the lever will be spaced forwardly of the holding handle 33 a convenient distance for operation to be readily grasped by the hand of the operator.

As thus constructed the machine may be moved over the'floor or other surface and operated by merely operating by an in-and out movement the lever 36 on its pivotal mounting 35, the resulting reciprocation of diaphragm 2O setting up the alternate suction in the pump and within chamber 2, and it will be seen that the s eed of operation may be varied to suit t e conditions of work.

The nozzle 4 as shown is 'tightly clamped around the pipe 3, anda feature of advantage of'this construction is that the relative position of the nozzle and machine may be the surface operated upon; it provides for easy disengagement and re-assemblage of parts and wil be found to provide an efiicient and useful article for cleaning in the manner described.

Having described my claim is 1. In a cleaning apparatus, the combination of a pump, a dust receiving chamber having a coni-form terminal, a centrally arranged inlet pipe extending outwardly bea detail construction ofnot liable to get out of order, it will invention, what yond said terminal and centrally inward through its interior, and a suction nozzle through its interior, and a suctionnozzle seadjustably secured on the outer end of said cured on the outer end of said inlet pipe and inlet pipe, substantially as set forth.

angularly adjustable about the ax s of the In testimony whereof I affix my signature 5 pipe,Isubstantially as set forth.h b in presence of two witnessw 2. n a cleaning a paratus t e com ination of a pump, a ust receiving chamber ROBERT HUTCHISON' having a coni-form terminal, a centrally Witnesses: arranged inlet pipe extending outwardly be- R. M. PAsE'rn,

10 yond said terminal and centrally inward C. M. CLARKE. 

